Run nvidia-settings to set display for a system with NVidia hardware if the nvidia drivers are installed. The latest community nvidia support is adequate for most purposes without installing the proprietary NVidia driver and kernel module. The system is more easily maintained if it runs using the community supported packages.

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''OpenGL with Nvidia''

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''OpenGL with NVidia''

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Users should be members of the video group to have access to opengl applications. If they are not, the application may run slowly (glxgears) or crash (celestia).

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Users should be members of the video group to have access to opengl applications. If they are not, the application may run slowly (glxgears) or crash (celestia).

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Skype audio requires the alsa-plugins-32bit package for Skype 4.2 (a 32-bit program). With skype running, and with pavucontrol open, make a test call. Look at the "Recording" window for the Skype application, and then select the input microphone (usually the USB microphone on the Logitech camera). This selection should associate the USB microphone with Skype permanently. Users should have "pulse" and "pulse-access" group memberships.

Skype audio requires the alsa-plugins-32bit package for Skype 4.2 (a 32-bit program). With skype running, and with pavucontrol open, make a test call. Look at the "Recording" window for the Skype application, and then select the input microphone (usually the USB microphone on the Logitech camera). This selection should associate the USB microphone with Skype permanently. Users should have "pulse" and "pulse-access" group memberships.

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''Wireless''

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Laptops by default will have networkmanager running their hardware and wireless connections. Desktops will not. To enable desktop wireless with minimal need for configuration, use Yast, Network Settings, and Global Settings to select networkmanager rather than ifup. With that change, there will be a desktop icon in the system tray and the interface may be selected by the user.

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Few USB network adapters work with the Linux kernel in OpenSuse 13.1 . Only one we have found readily available new is the Buffalo Nfinity Wireless-N compact USB 2.0 adapter. It is recognized immediately and requires no additional configuration, other than the selection of networkmanager, and the user's choice of connection.

Revision as of 00:46, 31 January 2014

The observatory's servers and control computers run on the openSuse distribution of Linux-based software. New systems are built with the 64-bit version 13.1 with xfce4. We then add all the options for software development.

The following describes how to build OpenSuSE with a solid foundation of software for astronomy, particular for real-time control of telescopes and observatories, operating small servers, and processing astronomical data.

During installation:

Select Xfce as default environment. Do not use Gnome or KDE.

Select almost all packages including PHP, MySQL, and Apache except those clearly not needed. Decline KDE and Gnome desktop but add development code.

Run nvidia-settings to set display for a system with NVidia hardware if the nvidia drivers are installed. The latest community nvidia support is adequate for most purposes without installing the proprietary NVidia driver and kernel module. The system is more easily maintained if it runs using the community supported packages.

OpenGL with NVidia

Users should be members of the video group to have access to opengl applications. If they are not, the application may run slowly (glxgears) or crash (celestia).

The gphoto2 application runs Nikon DSLR cameras for real-time observing, scripted imaging, and called by cgi routines from a web server. To give the USB device the proper permissions without invoking unwanted software (the default for a Gnome installation in OpenSuse), we make sure that libgphoto2 is installed, but not the file system. In OpenSuse 12.2 there will not be a udev rules file installed by default.

where the version given has to be high enough to work with udev and still be recognized by libgphoto2. This version works with OpenSuse 12.2's default installation. Try "175" if this does not work for a
more recent installation of udev.

Add the video group to users who will be observers, and to the user wwwrun by editing /etc/group or by using YAST.

When a camera is connected or turned on, it will accessible by any user in the video group, including the cgi applications used for remote operations.

VirtualBox

In OpenSuse 12.3 the virtualbox gtk interface installed by default is broken. Use the qt interface instead, starting it from the command line with "VirtualBox". The user who does the installation must belong to the virtualbox group.

OpenGL

Users must belong to the video group to have access to OpenGL when NVidia drivers are in use.

Skype

Skype audio requires the alsa-plugins-32bit package for Skype 4.2 (a 32-bit program). With skype running, and with pavucontrol open, make a test call. Look at the "Recording" window for the Skype application, and then select the input microphone (usually the USB microphone on the Logitech camera). This selection should associate the USB microphone with Skype permanently. Users should have "pulse" and "pulse-access" group memberships.

Wireless

Laptops by default will have networkmanager running their hardware and wireless connections. Desktops will not. To enable desktop wireless with minimal need for configuration, use Yast, Network Settings, and Global Settings to select networkmanager rather than ifup. With that change, there will be a desktop icon in the system tray and the interface may be selected by the user.

Few USB network adapters work with the Linux kernel in OpenSuse 13.1 . Only one we have found readily available new is the Buffalo Nfinity Wireless-N compact USB 2.0 adapter. It is recognized immediately and requires no additional configuration, other than the selection of networkmanager, and the user's choice of connection.